Antipanic door-fastener-operating mechanism



Apr 9,1929. w. B. BoLLEs ANTIPANIC DOOR FASTENER OPERATING' MBCHANISMFiled Nov. 24, 1924 Hal.

A V l ,ff/'Z mmv um WTTORNA'YJ.

Patented pr. 9, i929.

WILLIAM B. IBLLES, 0E MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ANV'I'IPANIC DOOR-FASTENER-OPERATING MECHANISM.

. Application filed November 24, 1924.. Serial No. 751,847.

This invention relates to anti-panic door fastener operating mechanismsuch as used in connection with doors, more particularly exit doors fromtheatres, halls, schools and other public buildings.

ln my co-pending application, Serial No. 683,537, filed December 31,1923, 'l have disclosed means in connection with the fastener operatingmechanism by which the operating mechanism may be positively held in aposition in which the fasteners are released. The present invention hasfor an object to provide a restraining device for the operatingmechanism which can be more quickly and easily adjusted to and fromrestraining position.

A further object is to provide an improved operating connection betweenthe actuating lever and the fastener actuating slide by which the thrustof the lever is more effectively transmitted to the slide and there isless strain upon the slide engaging projection of the lever, and, inaddition, to provide an action such that when the slide is held by therestraining means in fastener releasing -position theopcrating leverwill swing freely.

A further object is to provide latches at thc top and bottom of the doorso connected to the actuating slide that they are yieldingly held bygravity in projected strike engagingpositions and may be released by amovement of the slide and, in addition, to provide a connection betweenthe floor bolt or latch and the slide, such that failure of the floorbolt to drop into its keeper will not interfere with the movement of thelatch atvthetop of the door into locking position and lifting of thefloor bolt out of locking position will not release the latch at the topof the door.

With the above and other objects in View Vthe invention may be said tocomprise the devices illustratedV in the accompanying drawingshereinafter described Vandparticularly set forth in the appended claims,toget-her with such variations and modifications thereof as will beapparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specilieation in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a doorwith the improved locking device applied thereto; Fig. 2 is afragmentaryvertical section showing the latch at the top of the door, the lockactuating slide and a portion of the tloorl bolt;'Fig. 3 is a detailedview showing the upper latch in front elevation;.Figs. fl and 5 aredetail views showing a modification of the slip connection be tween theslide and floor bolt; Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view showing afurther modification of the slip connection.

Referring` to the accompanying drawings, a locking device embodying thepresent invention is shown applied to a swinging door 1, the lockingdevice including locking elements engaging the sill and lintel andmounted on the door adjacent to the free edge there-v of. Mounted on theinner face of the door adjacent to the edge opposite the hinges is:

attached a vertically disposed casing 2, in which is slidably mounted avertical movable slide 3, to which the upper and lower latches areoperatively connected. A rod l is rigidly secured to the upper end ofthe slide 3 and extends vertically along the face of the door into alatch casing 5, which is attached to the door adjacent to the upper edgethereof, the upper end of the rod t being` connected by a link 6 to theouter end of the latch member 7, which is mounted intermediate its endsupon a horizontalpivot pin 8 so that Avertical movement of the slide 3and rod t causes the latch member 7 to be swung about its pivot. Theinner end of the latch member 7,'

which extends inwardly toward the door from the pivot pin 8, is formedto provide'a latching portion 9, which engages with a suitable keeper inthe door casing tolock the door in closed position. l/Vhen' the rod 4cis in its lower-most position the upper'or strike engaging edge 10 ofthe latch member is held in a position flush with the top surface of thelatch casing 5, the top of the latch casing being provided with a slot11, through which the latch member may be projected. Attached to thelintel there is a keeper in the form of an angle plate 12 one flange ofwhich is secured to the underside of the lintel and the other flange 13thereof extends vertically along t-he outer side of the lintel and formsa strike'against which the latch member engages as the door is closed.Inwardly of the flange 13 the keeper is provided with a slot 14 whichcommunicates with a recess 15 in the lintel into which. the latch memberis projected to lock the door in closed position. rJllhe weight of theslide 3 and rod l tends to hold the latch member in projected position,and7 during the closing of the door, the edge of the latch member whichis inclined upwardly away from thel door casing engages with the strike13 causing the inner end of the latch member to be swung outwardlymoving the 'fbolt lano slide 3 surii'- ciently to permit thelatch memberto pass the strike 13. After 'passing the 'strike the weight of theparts causes the latch member to swing upwardly into'the recess l'tolockthe, door.` While thelatch member is connected to. the actuating.slidetor gravity actuation. additional downward impetus may be imparted4tothe rod Il: and slide 3 by'means of a compression coil spring '16ysurrounding the.v rod l and'interposed betweenvthe'l'ower endofmtlielatch casing 5 and awasher 17, which isrjtained upon a shouldertermed on the. rode, l v l 1 Mearfslis provided for lifting the'slidc 3to releasfl door and thisl means consists oi' a lever 18 mpuntedon. aVhorizontal pivotl 19 which is mounted in spaced ears 2O project-l ingoutwardly trom, the outer wall ot the cas- 2, the lever lhaving aprojection 2l eX- tending through a slot in the casing and intokelongated rvvertically extending slot 272 formed in the slide/3.l rl`heend walls 23 and 24 of 'the' slotf22 converge inwardly so that endyportionl of the projection v2l hasv a cam, action against vthe inclinedfaces "23 and thereby, exerting a. greater lthrust in'anendwijsedirection upon. the slide 3. The projection2lvis.preferablytormedwith a roundi ed end, portion 2PM-and curved side portions 2l"Qmerginginto the. rounded end portion, thev portionsf2lb being` formed.on an. in'volute curve, such that the projection rolls without slippageupon` the inclined end. wall oi the slot during'themajpr portion ot theupward ino/vement, 'the rounded end 21a sliding upon theinclined wall,during, the final portion of thestrde whereby a greatly increasedlever.- age is:obtained. Thel latch releasing movement,- of the slide`is in. an upward direction andthelever 18 is sofdisposedthat when it ispushed 4.toward lthe door the slide will. be

inoved,upwardly` to release the door. To pro-l vide for more convenientactuation. of they lever: ar od.2 5 is attachedto the outer end ot thelever 1:8;and extends across the door to an arm26which is pivoted to thedoor adjacent the hinged edge thereof on a. pivot coaxial Y tically4disposed slot. 30 which is of suicient lengthz'to permit the downwardmovement of moscas the slide 3 necessary to move the upper latch member7 intolojc-lzingy position in ease the bolt 27 should fail to drop intoits keeper 31 l in the door sill or floor. It sometimes hap-V penst-hat-tlhe floonbolt keeper becomes filled with dirt soA that the floorbolt is prevented trom moving 'to locking position. By reason of theconnection above described this iailure of the floor bolt to latch wouldnot inter-` ere with the lockingroi the door at'thetop v or-with the'actuation ofthe releasing mecha-f nism. Furthermore, thelifting oi' theHoor bolt by inserting a thin tool beneath the door would not releasethe door since this movement of Vthe'loor bolt would have no'eect uponthey latch at the `top oi:l the door. i

It -issometimos desirable that the doors be permittedV to swing vfreelywithout latehing in order -to preventunneoessary wear uponthe: latchesand latchoperatingmechanism and to permit moreconvenient access to, andvjfrom a `room of a building.V To this end means is soV provided forlocking-:the latch-actuating SlideY in a position such thatbothothelatches are held in retracted position. For retaining the slidey3 in its uppermost positionl a. stop, plate 32 is.- attached tothe-inner side ofthe door. immediately below the casing 2jy and Atheslide isprovided adjacent-its lower end withja set screw 33extendingtherethrough. Nhen the slide is.` in its. uppermostpositionfthe set screw 313 may be screwed-,iilgwardlyA toward thedoor-toproject the inner endthereoiover the upper-edge ofthestopplate 32so that the weight of theV slidewill'. be supported, uponl a stopplate32' and downwardrmovement thereof prevented. Theslot 22 inthe slide 3into eoV whichtheprojection2lo theleverextends is y of such lengthv andsoj positioned that when thezslide-isheld by theset screw 33ilritsfupperniost Iposition the lever- 1 8 isfree` vto swing as, far aspermitted by the abutmentsotthe casing 2g in either ydirection so that!Vactuation Qi. thel level when. the fastener actuating mechanism.: shelflinfreleasea residen Canfnot Cause injury te: @Hapert-ofthe fastenermechanism.

In Figs. 5 and 6 afmodiication slip Gonnecn-l-b'etweentheSlide.andifloelbolt 27 is shown. In this' mod'lGltionlthevupper end ofthe bolt 27? fits-zijn the x.bore28 andthe portion thereof l which its-.withinfthenbore Vis provided with an. .elongated -lQngitnd-inalllyextending slot 34C` which has; an arcuateboty tom 35, theslot 34 being-formed.by;afoircular carried by the slide 3 projects into the slot-34within thebore 28'and byfadjUSting-the; pin Y V36 ,in and fout the Epinmay, be positioned-to engage different. parts of the aronatefbottom .'35of the slot,VVA thereby permittingtheZbQlt-to have f greaterl :or lessplay., in .thefslidegto `meet thev requirements ,of a l.partic-ulaninstallation.

Fig. Zgshows a mod-niediorinot'E connection in which the bolt isprovided with an elongated slot 37 which is engaged by a pin 38 fixed tothe slide and projecting into the bore 28.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A lock actuating device comprising a casing, a fastener operatingslide movable in the casing, means carried by the casing for actuatingthe slide in a direction to release the fastener, a stop member carriedby the slide and adjustable transversely with respect thereto, and arelatively fixed stop member with which said adjustable stop member maybe engaged` when the slide is in fastener releasing position to lock theslide against movement away from fastener releasing position.

2. A lock actuating device comprising a casing, a fastener operatingslide movably mounted in the casing, means carried by the casing foractuating the slide in a direction to release the fastener', atransversely disposed set screw carried by the slide, anda relativelyfixed stop member with which said set screw may be engaged when theslide is in fastener releasing position to hold the slide againstmovement away from fastener releasing position.

3. A lock actuating device comprising a casing, a fastener operatingslide mounted in said casing, said slide having a longitudinallyextending slot, a lever pivoted upon the outer wall of the casing andhaving a projection extending into said slot, said projection beingengageable with an end wall of the slot to shift the slide to fastenerreleasing position, and means for holding the slide in fastenerreleasing position, said slot permitting free pivotal movement of thelever when the slide is so held.

4. A lock actuating device comprising a casing, a fastener actuatingslide in said casing, said slide having a longitudinally eX- tendingslot with an outwardly inclined end wall, and a lever pivoted to theouter wall of the casing, said lever having a projection extendinginwardly from the pivot into said slot, the end of said projectionhaving a cam action against the inclined end wall of the slot` to shiftthe slide to fastener releasing position.

k5. The combination with a door, of a fastener mechanism carried therebycomprising a casing, a vertically movable slide in said casing, a latchadjacent the top of the door, operatively connected to said slide, and abolt depending from said slide, said bolt having a limited slidingmovement in said slide.

6. The combination with a door, of a fastener mechanism comprising acasing, a vertically movable slide in the casing, means carried by thecasing for lifting the slide, a bolt depending from the slide, and aconnection between the bolt and slide permitting vertical play betweenthe bolt and slide, said connection having a part adjustable to vary theamount of play between the slide and bolt.

' 7. rIhe combination with a door, of a fastener mechanism comprising acasing, a vertically movable slide in the casing, means ,carried by thecasing for lifting the slide, and a bolt depending from the slide andhaving a pin and slot connection with the slide, the slot being ofvarying depth and the pin being adjustable whereby the extent ofmovement of the pin in the slot may be varied.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature. j

WILLIAM B. BOLLES.

